Association of single nucleotide polymorphism of vitamin D receptor gene start codon and the suscepbility to prostate cancer in Han nationality in Hubei, China

Aim: To investigate the single nucleotide polymorphism of vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene start codon in the Han nationality in Hubei and its relationship to the susceptibility to prostate cancel (PCa). Methods: The VDR genotypes were determined by poly-merase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) in 80 patients with PCa and 96 normal male controls from the Han nationality in Hubei, using endonuclease Fok. Direct sequencing was done in part of the PCR products. Results: The frequency distribution of Fok I alleles in this cohort all followed the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. The distribution of genotypes and alleles had no significant difference between PCa patients and the controls (P>0.05). Conclusion: There was no significant relationship between Fok I polymorphism of VDR gene start codon and PCa in the Han nationality in Hubei.

Preparation of entangledW states based on the cavity QED system

We present a qubit-loss-free(QLF)fusion scheme for generating large-scale atom W states in cavity quantum electrodynamics(QED)system.Compared to the most current fusion schemes which are conditioned on the case where one particle can be extracted from each initial W state to the fusion process,our scheme will access one or two particles from each W state.Based on the atom–cavity-field detuned interaction,three jWin+m+t states can be generated from the jWin,jWim,and jWit states with the help of two auxiliary atoms,and three jWin+m+t+q states can be generated from jWin,jWim,jWit,and a jWiq state with the help of three auxiliary atoms.Comparing the numerical simulations of the resource cost of fusing three small-size W states based on the previous schemes,our fusion scheme seems to be more efficient.This QLF fusion scheme can be generalized to the case of fusing k different or identical particle W states.Furthermore,with no qubit loss,it greatly reduces the number of fusion steps and prepares W states with larger particle numbers.

Entropy variances of pure coherent states in the diffusion channel

Using the operator correspondence of the real and fictious modes in the thermo entangled state representation, wesolve the quantum master equation describing the diffusion channel and obtain the Kraus operator-sum representation ofits analytical solution. we find that the pure coherent states evolve into the new mixed thermal superposed states in thediffusion channel. Also, we investigate the statistical properties of the initial coherent states and their entropy evolutions inthe diffusion channel, and find that the entropy evolutions are only related to the decay time and without the amplitudes ofthe initial coherent states.

Machine-learning-assisted efficient reconstruction of the quantum states generated from the Sagnac polarization-entangled photon source

Neural networks are becoming ubiquitous in various areas of physics as a successful machine learning(ML)technique for addressing different tasks.Based on ML technique,we propose and experimentally demonstrate an efficient method for state reconstruction of the widely used Sagnac polarization-entangled photon source.By properly modeling the target states,a multi-output fully connected neural network is well trained using only six of the sixteen measurement bases in standard tomography technique,and hence our method reduces the resource consumption without loss of accuracy.We demonstrate the ability of the neural network to predict state parameters with a high precision by using both simulated and experimental data.Explicitly,the mean absolute error for all the parameters is below 0.05 for the simulated data and a mean fidelity of 0.99 is achieved for experimentally generated states.Our method could be generalized to estimate other kinds of states,as well as other quantum information tasks.

Target layer state estimation in multi-layer complex dynamical networks considering nonlinear node dynamics

In many engineering networks, only a part of target state variables are required to be estimated.On the other hand,multi-layer complex network exists widely in practical situations.In this paper, the state estimation of target state variables in multi-layer complex dynamical networks with nonlinear node dynamics is studied.A suitable functional state observer is constructed with the limited measurement.The parameters of the designed functional observer are obtained from the algebraic method and the stability of the functional observer is proven by the Lyapunov theorem.Some necessary conditions that need to be satisfied for the design of the functional state observer are obtained.Different from previous studies, in the multi-layer complex dynamical network with nonlinear node dynamics, the proposed method can estimate the state of target variables on some layers directly instead of estimating all the individual states.Thus, it can greatly reduce the placement of observers and computational cost.Numerical simulations with the three-layer complex dynamical network composed of three-dimensional nonlinear dynamical nodes are developed to verify the effectiveness of the method.

Structure of Essential Spectrum and Discrete Spectra of the Energy Operator of Five-Electron Systems in the Hubbard Model. Third and Fourth Doublet States

We consider a five-electron system in the Hubbard model with a coupling between nearest-neighbors. The structure of essential spectrum and discrete spectrum of the systems in the third and fourth doublet states in a v-dimensional lattice is investigated. We prove that the essential spectrum of the system in a third doublet state consists is the union of at most four segments, and discrete spectrum of the system is empty. We show that the essential spectrum of the system in a fourth doublet state consists of the union of at most seven segments, and discrete spectrum of the system consists of no more than one point.

Topological edge and corner states of valley photonic crystals with zipper-like boundary conditions

We present a stable valley photonic crystal(VPC)unit cell with C_(3v)symmetric quasi-ring-shaped dielectric columns and realize its topological phase transition by breaking mirror symmetry.Based on this unit cell structure,topological edge states(TESs)and topological corner states(TCSs)are realized.We obtain a new type of wave transmission mode based on photonic crystal zipper-like boundaries and apply it to a beam splitter assembled from rectangular photonic crystals(PCs).The constructed beam splitter structure is compact and possesses frequency separation functions.In addition,we construct a box-shaped triangular PC structures with zipper-like boundaries and discover phenomena of TCSs in the corners,comparing its corner states with those formed by other boundaries.Based on this,we explore the regularities of the electric field patterns of TESs and TCSs,explain the connection between the characteristic frequencies and locality of TCSs,which helps better control photons and ensures low power consumption of the system.

Screening of Rodents from Rural Communities of Lagos and Ogun State Nigeria of Lassa Virus RNA

Background: In recent times, there has been an increase in the number of Lassa fever cases resulting from the several episodes of Lassa fever epidemics ravaging Nigeria and other West African countries. The presence of Lassa virus in rodents other than the major reservoir (Mastomys natalensis) has been a public health concern as to the actual burden of the disease. It is therefore of a public health necessity to explore the LASV RNA habouring potential of several species of rodents in endemic as well as non-endemic areas for proper prevention of emergence of outbreaks in non-endemic areas. Objectives: The aim of this study was to detect the presence of LASV RNA in different species of rodents in Ikorodu, Lagos state and Abeokuta, Ogun state. Methods: A total of ninety one (91) rodents were captured from Ikorodu, Lagos State (61 rodents) and Abeokuta, Ogun State (30 rodents), euthanized, bled, and plasma obtained for the detection of LASV RNA by Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction. Results: A total of 91 rodents consisting of 77 Rattus rattus and 14 Crocidura spp. The S segment of LASV RNA was not in any of the 91 rodents’ plasma samples. Conclusion: The rodents captured within the rural communities of Ikorodu, Lagos State and Abeokuta, Ogun State were found not to habour the LASV RNA. This study is limited by the relatively small sample size. Similar studies should be encouraged both in endemic and non-endemic areas in order to understand the actual burden of Lassa fever as well as put into check future epidemics.

Comparative Study of the Socioeconomic Characteristics and Digital Literacy Level of Agricultural Extension Personnel in Imo and Ebonyi States, South-East, Nigeria

The study comparatively analysed the socioeconomic characteristics and digital literacy level of Agricultural Extension personnel (AEP) in Ebonyi and Imo States, South-East, Nigeria. The specific objectives were to describe the socioeconomic characteristics of agricultural extension personnel in Ebonyi and Imo States, and to ascertain the digital literacy level of AEP in the studied states. Purposive sampling technique was used to select 312 Agricultural Extension personnel (132 from Ebonyi State Agricultural Development Program and 180 from Imo State Agricultural Development Program) for the study. Data were collected through the use of validated and structured questionnaire, and administered through the help of well-trained enumerators. Data were analysed using simple descriptive statistical tools such as percentages mean score, standard deviation and weighted mean. Findings indicated that they were more male in the both States (55.3% and 57.8%) for Ebonyi and Imo State respectively and that the average age of AEP in Ebonyi and Imo States were 44.7 years and 49.2 years respectively. It was further revealed that the majority (77.3% and 82.8%) had B.Sc./HND as their highest academic qualifications, belonged to professional organisations (62.1% and 75%), and were earning an average monthly income of N58,798 and N62,648 for Ebonyi and Imo State respectively. Also, it was revealed that their mean years of service were 12.4 years and 13.4 years for Ebonyi and Imo State respectively. Almost all of them (87.9% and 95.0%) own a smartphone, had access to the internet (80.3% and 90.0%), but do not own a laptop/ipad (82.6% and 72.8%) for Ebon-yi and Imo State respectively. Results further revealed that Agricultural extension personnel in both Ebonyi and Imo State respectively had low digital literacy level ( = 2.41 and 2.32). The study concluded that AEP in Ebonyi and Imo State respectively had similar socioeconomic characteristics and low level of digital literacy. The study recommended that the management of ADPs in both Ebonyi and Imo State should ensure the training of AEP in digital skills to enhance their digital literacy level to enable them use digital technologies in their work.

Pure State Feedback Switching Control Based on the Online Estimated State for Stochastic Open Quantum Systems

For the n-qubit stochastic open quantum systems,based on the Lyapunov stability theorem and LaSalle’s invariant set principle,a pure state switching control based on on-line estimated state feedback(short for OQST-SFC)is proposed to realize the state transition the pure state of the target state including eigenstate and superposition state.The proposed switching control consists of a constant control and a control law designed based on the Lyapunov method,in which the Lyapunov function is the state distance of the system.The constant control is used to drive the system state from an initial state to the convergence domain only containing the target state,and a Lyapunov-based control is used to make the state enter the convergence domain and then continue to converge to the target state.At the same time,the continuous weak measurement of quantum system and the quantum state tomography method based on the on-line alternating direction multiplier(QST-OADM)are used to obtain the system information and estimate the quantum state which is used as the input of the quantum system controller.Then,the pure state feedback switching control method based on the on-line estimated state feedback is realized in an n-qubit stochastic open quantum system.The complete derivation process of n-qubit QST-OADM algorithm is given;Through strict theoretical proof and analysis,the convergence conditions to ensure any initial state of the quantum system to converge the target pure state are given.The proposed control method is applied to a 2-qubit stochastic open quantum system for numerical simulation experiments.Four possible different position cases between the initial estimated state and that of the controlled system are studied and discussed,and the performances of the state transition under the corresponding cases are analyzed.

A review of Al-based material dopants for high-performance solid state lithium metal batteries

As the world transitions to green energy, there is a growing focus among many researchers on the requirement for high-efficient and safe batteries. Solid-state lithium metal batteries(SSLMBs) have emerged as a promising alternative to traditional liquid lithium-ion batteries(LIBs), offering higher energy density, enhanced safety, and longer lifespan. The rise of SSLMBs has brought about a transformation in energy storage, with aluminum(Al)-based material dopants playing a crucial role in advancing the next generation of batteries. The review highlights the significance of Al-based material dopants in SSLMBs applications, particularly its contributions to solid-state electrolytes(SSEs), cathodes, anodes,and other components of SSLMBs. Some studies have also shown that Al-based material dopants effectively enhance SSE ion conductivity, stabilize electrode and SSE interfaces, and suppress lithium dendrite growth, thereby enhancing the electrochemical performance of SSLMBs. Despite the above mentioned progresses, there are still problems and challenges need to be addressed. The review offers a comprehensive insight into the important role of Al in SSLMBs and addresses some of the issues related to its applications, endowing valuable support for the practical implementation of SSLMBs.

Four-Electron Systems in the Impurity Hubbard Model. Second Triplet State. Spectra of the System in the ν-Dimensional Lattice Zν

We consider an energy operator of four-electron system in the Impurity Hubbard model with a coupling between nearest-neighbors. The spectrum of the systems in the second triplet state in a ν-dimensional lattice is investigated. For investigation the structure of essential spectra and discrete spectrum of the energy operator of four-electron systems in an impurity Hubbard model, for which the momentum representation is convenient. In addition, we used the tensor products of Hilbert spaces and tensor products of operators in Hilbert spaces and described the structure of essential spectrum and discrete spectrum of the energy operator of four-electron systems in an impurity Hubbard model for the second triplet state of the system. The investigations show that the essential spectrum of the system consists of the union of no more than sixteen segments, and the discrete spectrum of the system consists of no more than eleven eigenvalues.

Nonstandard Unitary Transformations of Quantum States

In quantum optics, unitary transformations of arbitrary states are evaluated by using the Taylor series expansion. However, this traditional approach can become cumbersome for the transformations involving non-commuting operators. Addressing this issue, a nonstandard unitary transformation technique is highlighted here with new perspective. In a spirit of “quantum” series expansions, the transition probabilities between initial and final states, such as displaced, squeezed and other nonlinearly transformed coherent states are obtained both numerically and analytically. This paper concludes that, although this technique is novel, its implementations for more extended systems are needed.

1-Way Multihead Quantum Finite State Automata

1-way multihead quantum finite state automata (1QFA(k)) can be thought of modified version of 1-way quantum finite state automata (1QFA) and k-letter quantum finite state automata (k-letter QFA) respectively. It has been shown by Moore and Crutchfield as well as Konadacs and Watrous that 1QFA can’t accept all regular language. In this paper, we show different language recognizing capabilities of our model 1-way multihead QFAs. New results presented in this paper are the following ones: 1) We show that newly introduced 1-way 2-head quantum finite state automaton (1QFA(2)) structure can accept all unary regular languages. 2) A language which can’t be accepted by 1-way deterministic 2-head finite state automaton (1DFA((2)) can be accepted by 1QFA(2) with bounded error. 3) 1QFA(2) is more powerful than 1-way reversible 2-head finite state automaton (1RMFA(2)) with respect to recognition of language.

Teleportation of an Arbitrary Multipartite GHZ-Class State by One EPR Pair

We present a scheme for perfectly teleporting an arbitrary and unknown N-particle GHZ-class state from a sender to a receiver. We just need one quantum channel composed of two or three particles in the maximally entangled state. The sender performs one Bell-state measurement on two of her particles and N - 1 Hadamard operations and N - 1 yon Neumann measurements on the rest N - 1 particles. The receiver adopts one corresponding unitary transformation on his particles shared with the sender. After that, the receiver can obtain the original N-particle GHZ-class state by introducing N - 1 ancillary particles and carrying out N - 1 controlled-NOT operations. We also generalize the scheme to the case of controlled teleportation.

Morphology and valence state evolution of Cu:Unraveling the impact on nitric oxide electroreduction

Ammonia(NH3)serves as a critical component in the fertilizer industry and fume gas denitrification.However,the conventional NH3production process,namely the Haber-Bosch process,leads to considerable energy consumption and waste gas emissions.To address this,electrocatalytic nitric oxide reduction reaction(NORR)has emerged as a promising strategy to bridge NH3consumption to NH3production,harnessing renewable electricity for a sustainable future.Copper(Cu)stands out as a prominent electrocatalyst for NO reduction,given its exceptional NH3yield and selectivity.However,a crucial aspect that remains insufficiently explored is the effects of morphology and valence states of Cu on the NORR performance.In this investigation,we synthesized CuO nanowires(CuO-NF)and Cu nanocubes(Cu-NF)as cathodes through an in situ growth method.Remarkably,CuO-NF exhibited an impressive NH3yield of 0.50±0.02 mg cm^(-2)h^(-1)at-0.6 V vs.reversible hydrogen electrode(RHE)with faradaic efficiency of29,68%±1,35%,surpassing that of Cu-NF(0.17±0.01 mg cm^(-2)h^(-1),16.18%±1.40%).Throughout the electroreduction process,secondary cubes were generated on the CuO-NF surface,preserving their nanosheet cluster morphology,sustained by an abundant supply of subsurface oxygen(s-O)even after an extended duration of 10 h,until s-O depletion ensued.Conversely,Cu-NF exhibited inadequate s-O content,leading to rapid crystal collapse within the same timeframe.The distinctive current-potential relationship,akin to a volcano-type curve,was attributed to distinct NO hydrogenation mechanisms.Further Tafel analysis revealed the exchange current density(i0)and standard heterogeneous rate constant(k0)for CuO-NF,yielding 3.44×10^(-6)A cm^(-2)and 3.77×10^(-6)cm^(-2)s^(-1)when NORR was driven by overpotentials.These findings revealed the potential of CuO-NF for NO reduction and provided insights into the intricate interplay between crystal morphology,valence states,and electrochemical performance.

Assessment of Wet Season Precipitation in the Central United States by the Regional Climate Simulation of the WRFG Member in NARCCAP and Its Relationship with Large-Scale Circulation Biases

Assessment of past-climate simulations of regional climate models(RCMs)is important for understanding the reliability of RCMs when used to project future regional climate.Here,we assess the performance and discuss possible causes of biases in a WRF-based RCM with a grid spacing of 50 km,named WRFG,from the North American Regional Climate Change Assessment Program(NARCCAP)in simulating wet season precipitation over the Central United States for a period when observational data are available.The RCM reproduces key features of the precipitation distribution characteristics during late spring to early summer,although it tends to underestimate the magnitude of precipitation.This dry bias is partially due to the model’s lack of skill in simulating nocturnal precipitation related to the lack of eastward propagating convective systems in the simulation.Inaccuracy in reproducing large-scale circulation and environmental conditions is another contributing factor.The too weak simulated pressure gradient between the Rocky Mountains and the Gulf of Mexico results in weaker southerly winds in between,leading to a reduction of warm moist air transport from the Gulf to the Central Great Plains.The simulated low-level horizontal convergence fields are less favorable for upward motion than in the NARR and hence,for the development of moist convection as well.Therefore,a careful examination of an RCM’s deficiencies and the identification of the source of errors are important when using the RCM to project precipitation changes in future climate scenarios.

Thermal safety boundary of lithium-ion battery at different state of charge

Thermal runaway(TR)is a critical issue hindering the large-scale application of lithium-ion batteries(LIBs).Understanding the thermal safety behavior of LIBs at the cell and module level under different state of charges(SOCs)has significant implications for reinforcing the thermal safety design of the lithium-ion battery module.This study first investigates the thermal safety boundary(TSB)correspondence at the cells and modules level under the guidance of a newly proposed concept,safe electric quantity boundary(SEQB).A reasonable thermal runaway propagation(TRP)judgment indicator,peak heat transfer power(PHTP),is proposed to predict whether TRP occurs.Moreover,a validated 3D model is used to quantitatively clarify the TSB at different SOCs from the perspective of PHTP,TR trigger temperature,SOC,and the full cycle life.Besides,three different TRP transfer modes are discovered.The interconversion relationship of three different TRP modes is investigated from the perspective of PHTP.This paper explores the TSB of LIBs under different SOCs at both cell and module levels for the first time,which has great significance in guiding the thermal safety design of battery systems.

Pixelated non-volatile programmable photonic integrated circuits with 20-level intermediate states

Multi-level programmable photonic integrated circuits(PICs)and optical metasurfaces have gained widespread attention in many fields,such as neuromorphic photonics,opticalcommunications,and quantum information.In this paper,we propose pixelated programmable Si_(3)N_(4)PICs with record-high 20-level intermediate states at 785 nm wavelength.Such flexibility in phase or amplitude modulation is achieved by a programmable Sb_(2)S_(3)matrix,the footprint of whose elements can be as small as 1.2μm,limited only by the optical diffraction limit of anin-house developed pulsed laser writing system.We believe our work lays the foundation for laser-writing ultra-high-level(20 levels and even more)programmable photonic systems and metasurfaces based on phase change materials,which could catalyze diverse applications such as programmable neuromorphic photonics,biosensing,optical computing,photonic quantum computing,and reconfigurable metasurfaces.

Semi-analytical solution for drained expansion analysis of a hollow cylinder of critical state soils

The expansion of a thick-walled hollow cylinder in soil is of non-self-similar nature that the stress/deformation paths are not the same for different soil material points.As a result,this problem cannot be solved by the common self-similar-based similarity techniques.This paper proposes a novel,exact solution for rigorous drained expansion analysis of a hollow cylinder of critical state soils.Considering stress-dependent elastic moduli of soils,new analytical stress and displacement solutions for the nonself-similar problem are developed taking the small strain assumption in the elastic zone.In the plastic zone,the cavity expansion response is formulated into a set of first-order partial differential equations(PDEs)with the combination use of Eulerian and Lagrangian descriptions,and a novel solution algorithm is developed to efficiently solve this complex boundary value problem.The solution is presented in a general form and thus can be useful for a wide range of soils.With the new solution,the non-self-similar nature induced by the finite outer boundary is clearly demonstrated and highlighted,which is found to be greatly different to the behaviour of cavity expansion in infinite soil mass.The present solution may serve as a benchmark for verifying the performance of advanced numerical techniques with critical state soil models and be used to capture the finite boundary effect for pressuremeter tests in small-sized calibration chambers.